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Dr. Rand Paul Holds Hearing on 'The Afghanistan Papers'

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) Subcommittee for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), held a hearing on “The Afghanistan Papers,” a series of investigative reports published by The Washington Post in December 2019 that tell the story of the U.S. war in Afghanistan through the unsparingly critical assessments of those who were fighting it.

The story reveals how those assessments bore little resemblance to the government’s “official” narrative of success, as leaders presented one picture to the American people while knowing the situation on the ground was different.

“Sadly, for those of us who have followed Afghanistan closely, these reports only served to confirm our worst suspicions,” Dr. Paul said in his opening statement, later adding, “[W]hat the [Afghanistan Papers] makes crystal clear is that doing nothing is no longer an option for any senator or member of Congress with a conscience.”

“The Afghanistan Papers” draws on over 2,000 pages of primary source documents, including over 400 interviews with U.S. military and civilian officials conducted by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), as well as memos from former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

The FSO Subcommittee heard testimony today from John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction; former Ambassador and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Douglas Lute; former Ambassador Richard A. Boucher; and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel L. Davis.

You can watch Dr. Paul’s opening statement HERE and the entire hearing HERE.